The Minnesota House of Representatives Civil Law and Data Practices Committee, held an informational hearing to learn more about protecting patients’ health information in the state.

The morning’s presentation, titled “Protecting Medical Privacy in Minnesota,” included testimony by CCHF on protecting patients’ rights and data and the threats to Minnesota’s current privacy protections as a result of efforts to repeal the state’s privacy law by requiring the state to conform to HIPAA.

ST. PAUL, Minn.—This past year was perhaps one of the most crucial in history regarding patient rights and privacy, as important issues such as government health care, the storage of and research on baby DNA and federal biosurveillance plans all made headlines.

Monday, CCH Freedom released our first publication of stories on “The HIPAA Privacy Deception.” In short, there’s no privacy. HIPAA is not what people think it is. The 12 stories came from people who legally refused to sign the so-called “HIPAA privacy form” at their clinic or hospital.

ST. PAUL, Minn.—Millions of patients scrawl their signature on that form whenever it’s slid across the counter at the doctor’s office, dentist’s office or hospital. It can even be as easy as “clicking” a signature at a sign-in kiosk before a procedure like a mammogram.

This document of personal stories of patients who refused to sign the HIPAA privacy form is part of CCH Freedom’s “Refuse to Sign HIPAA” campaign. Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom is using this campaign to highlight the fact that the “HIPAA Privacy Rule” does not protect patient privacy – and that patients are not required to sign the so-called “HIPAA privacy form.”

Will robots dictate medical treatment? In “Could Artificial Intelligence End the Electronic Medical Record Nightmare?” physician Kevin R. Stone says doctors, nurses and patients used to talk with each other to share information and solve problems, but now, “The electronic medical record has killed the oral science.”

Don’t Allow Government to Collect and Store Genetic Blueprint of America’s Citizens

ST. PAUL, Minn.—In the current lame duck session of Congress, which began last Wednesday, Senators and Representatives will be on a fast-and-furious mission to clear leftover business and push through the last remaining bills before newly elected lawmakers take office in January.